Too Close to See Clearly

Every winter, it seems like I’m in a battle with my skin care. Whether it’s eczema, hyperpigmentation, acne, or all the above. It finds me. In recent years, I found that all the OTC skin care products just weren’t cutting it and I began to see a dermatologist. Each time I visit her office, I encounter someone that tells me how nice my skin looks. At first, I thought it was surely a line. They say that to everyone. The different nurses I encountered, who hadn’t met me before, would all say the same thing. On my most recent visit, I met a new nurse who said the same thing. I walked past her on the way to the exam room and saw her observing as I walked by. When she came to do my check up, she shared that she thought I had really beautiful skin. That skincare regime was working! Except, I hadn’t been doing it for several months. Hence, the flare up. In that moment, I found it funny because it made me realize that regardless if they say that to everyone or not (I don’t know), I was only concerned with my flaws. 

When I was a child, I remember a woman from my church always singing the song ‘Too Close to the Mirror’ by Eddie Bradford. As I grew up, I heard the song less, but the meaning continues to resonate. Sometimes, we know our imperfections and flaws too well to actually see what God sees in us. In my case, I was intimately familiar with all the imperfections of my skin. It was hard to believe my dermatologist tell me any different. I find this to be the experience beyond skincare. In general, we often know ourselves a little too well to see what those on the outside looking in see. This has been a repeat conversation between me and a friend of mine. Sometimes we just don’t see it.

I’ve been learning to appreciate why that can be a good thing. As we mature in Christ, we spend each day becoming who he made us to be. At times, some of us might want to leap frog ahead and skip out on the progressive road. The journey is just as important as our final destination. We miss out on lessons and even some experiences when we rush the finale. So even as we go through life experiences that require a little waiting, don’t begrudge the journey. Who God wants us to be is even greater than who we are right now. But in order to become that person, we have to go through, flaws and all. 

Stay Sunny!

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